Authors: Tricia Goyer

Made with Love (39 page)

BOOK: Made with Love

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“Trouble?” Joy shook her head, blue eyes widening. “It's so funâ¦and I hope it does what Faith believesâbrings around all types of bachelors!”

Noah laughed out loud at that one. “Oh, is that the real ploy? Now I know!” he teased.

Lovina softly slugged his arm. “Well, it worked, didn't it?”

“I think so.” Noah winked at her. “I'm just hoping you'll want to keep me around awhile.”

Lovina felt heat flush her face, and Joy's eyes grew wide.

“Well, that
did
work, didn't it?” Joy giggled.

Lovina looked to her sister and then to Noah, unsure of what to say. She wanted to open her heart up to him, but every time she thought of it fear held her back. Blowing out a deep breath, Lovina wagged her finger at Noah. “Mr. Yoder, we promised to discuss this after the opening of the shop, remember?”

“How can I forget?” he winked. “And why do you think I've been working so hard?”

Lovina grinned. “I'm going to go thank Elizabeth Beiler, and then we'll be ready for the walkthrough.”

Noah nodded. Lovina could tell that he wanted to say more, but thankfully he held his tongue. Joy would relay this conversation to their sisters as it was, and her sisters were quick to blow every small comment out of proportion.

With a small wave she left the pie shop, thankful for the breeze that blew outside. She was at the quilt shop before she knew it, and still her heart pounded. Tomorrow the store would open. She couldn't be more excited. But after thatâ¦was she really ready to commit to Noah completely?

“Well, there you are! Just the young woman I've been hoping to see! I want to thank you,” Elizabeth called out as Lovina entered the quilt shop. Her voice held age and wisdom. Lovina looked around to see if Elizabeth was talking to someone else, but the shop was empty.

“Elizabeth, I came to thank
you
.” Lovina approached and gave the old woman a hug.

“Oh, but I want to thank you too. I'm excited about your shop. I'm excited about what it's going to do to spread the Good News.”

“Spread the Good News?” Lovina asked.

“Oh, yes.” Elizabeth patted the stool next to her and Lovina sat. She knew she needed to get back to the pie shop, but she could tell from the older woman's eyes that Elizabeth had something important to share.

“Have you ever taken time to talk to the Englisch?” Elizabeth asked.

It wasn't the question Lovina had been expecting.

“I really haven't thought about doing that before. Almost everyone I know is Amish or Mennonite.”

“It's one of my favorite things about living here in Pinecraft.” The wrinkles around Elizabeth's eyes grew with her smile. “The good Lord says to go out into the world to spread the Good News. I used to worry and fret about thatâfret that I wasn't going out to all the places around here, telling them about Jesus. I even prayed, âLord, does that mean I need to go into those fancy neighborhoods near the beach?' ”

Elizabeth smiled and then continued. “Then, as I was thinking about that one day, two women walked in. They had so many jewels on their fingers and neck, but as we talked it was almost as if they envied me. They envied my simpler life. I talked about quilting patternsâone woman was planning to buy a quilt for her mother in a rest home. But I also talked about the hope we Amish and Mennonites have in Jesus, and it was as if the Lord told me I didn't need to worry about going out into the world. I simply had to love those He brought to me.”

As they talked, two women walked by, peering in the front window of the quilt shop. They wore Englisch clothes, and Lovina could tell they were from out of town. They pointed and smiled as they watched an Amish woman in one of the cottage rentals nearby hanging her laundry on the line.

“And sometimes choosing to love one person is a wonderful first step. It makes it easier to love everyone after thatâafter you open your heart.”

Loving one person first? Chills ran up Lovina's arms.

She thought of Noah. He'd worked so hard over the last few months. The old broken pieces of the warehouse had been stripped down, but he'd lovingly built it back up. He'd made everything new, fresh, and bright. Because of Noah, Lovina's dream ended up being so much more than she ever thought, yet
she also knew she was holding back. She hadn't allowed herself to open her heart. Was that what God was asking her to do? To start by loving the one person He'd brought into her life? And thenâ¦would she find it easier to love others too? Love the customers who came into her pie shop?

Lovina had locked herself up tight, fearful of what would happen if she let Noah in completely. But now she had a feeling that God was asking her to do the thing that was hardest of all. To dare to place her heart in the hands of another.

In the months she'd known Elizabeth, the older woman had said things that had inspired Lovina's own relationship with God. Lovina had changed as she'd watched the pie shop transform, but was that just the beginning? Did God have
gut
plans for her customers too? Could she serve up a slice of hope along with pie? She'd never really considered that before, but from the peace and joy she saw in Elizabeth's eyes, she had no doubt it could be so.

Elizabeth pointed to the apron Lovina was wearing. “Do you know Jesus put on an apron? He was the Son of God and yet He wrapped a towel around His waist and kneeled to wash His disciples' feet. You're serving up pie, but knowing you there's going to be a lot of love served up too. Every day when you put on that apron ask God to show you the one person to extend extra love to.”

Tears rimmed Lovina's eyes as she pictured that. She nodded. “I will. Starting tomorrow.”

“Oh, no.” Elizabeth wagged a finger at her. “Not starting tomorrow. You're wearing that apron today, aren't you? I think you already have someone in mind. Someone you need to love first.”

Lovina nodded. Noah's smiling face filled her mind. “How did you know?”

Elizabeth tapped her temple. “When you get to be my age you know and see many thingsâ¦and now I know it's time for you to go.” She patted Lovina's arm. “But don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow when I come in for my slice of pie.”

It was already past noon by the time Lovina left the quilt shop, and when she got to the pie shop it was empty and locked. She wondered if Noah had gone out to lunch. No, knowing him he'd probably gone home to get something quick to eat.

With quickened steps she walked to Roy Yoder's house. The sun was high, casting a warm glow over the neighborhood. She started to walk up the sidewalk and then paused. What if she was interrupting his lunch? Maybe she should come back later. She turned back toward the pie shop when she heard the sound of a door opening behind her.

“Lovinaâ¦”

She paused at the sound of his voice.

“Everything all right?”

She turned and saw that he was dressed in the familiar homemade jeans and a work shirt. His hair was damp and rumpled, as if he'd been working up a sweat. It clung to his face at his temples, and her heart jumped to her throat as she focused on his blue eyes. She could no longer keep the truth of her love inside her. She glanced down at the apron. He was the one she needed to love firstâ¦and love in a different way than she ever had.

“Noah, I don't want you to say anything. Pleaseâ¦just let me say what I have to say. Then tomorrowâafter the openingâwe can talk about what it means.”

Noah nodded. “All right.”

“I love you, Noah Yoder. More than I ever thought I could love a man. I've been holding you at bay, and that's been foolish. And once the pie shop is open, I don't want that to be the end of
spending my days with you. Instead, I want that to be the beginning. Of us.”

“Lovina,” Noah started, but Lovina put a finger on his lips. She could see all the emotion in his gaze. She knew how he felt. She didn't need to hear his response. He'd told her everything already.

“Shhh, not now. Tomorrow we'll talk about it. After the first day.”

Noah smiled, and it was only then that Lovina noticed three guys standing in the doorway behind them. They were smiling, all of them. Even Mose.

Noah took her hand and they began to walk, away from listening ears.

“I'm sorry. Maybe I should have waited, but I had to talk to you now. I needed you to know how I really feel.”

“Lovina, I thought I knew what I was here for.” He glanced back at the pie shop. “To give you your dream. And I'm so glad I was able to give you what you want mostâ¦”

“What I used to want most.” She grinned.

“Used to?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Is it something different now?”

“I knew about making pies. I knew about the joy that a community could bring, when they gathered together, sitting face-to-face. But Noah.” She paused looking up at him. She bit her lower lip and her eyelashes fluttered softly as she considered her words. “But Noah, that's because I hadn't met you yet. How could I have known what I'd wanted most if I'd never known it before?”

She squeezed his hand, and she saw that he was smiling.

“I still want a pie shop, yes, but it's not my biggest dream now.”

“Does your biggest dream have to do with me, Lovina? With the rest of our lives?” He leaned above her, kissing her hair. Lovina released a small gasp and her eyes drifted closed.

“Ja.”

“I like to hear that. I want nothing more. But I need you to do something for me.”

She opened her eyes and looked to him again. “What is that?”

“Enjoy the opening tomorrow. Soak in every moment.”

“Of course. I'll make sure I do. You have a way of bringing my dreams to life. I'm ready for that walkthrough now. I can't wait to see the finished product.”

“Finished?” Noah's eyebrow lifted. And then he reached down with both hands and entwined his fingers in hers. “Don't think of this as a finish, Love, but just the beginning.”

Noah moved forward to kiss her lips. The touch was light at first, but then she lifted onto her toes, leaning in. Her movement surprised him, and he released her hands and grasped her shoulders, pulling her forward. Her hand rested on his chest, keeping space between them, but the kiss lingered, and Lovina wondered what it would be like to be married to this man and kiss every day like this.

Finally she pulled back and glanced over her shoulder, remembering where she wasâin the middle of Roy Yoder's yard.

She breathed out a sigh. “Can you come over for lunchâif you haven't eaten yet? I promised Mem I'd be there, but I want you to be there to celebrate with us.”

“Ja, but can you give me twenty minutes? I was teaching the guys how to make turkey biscuit skillet. Then they need to finish up some work in the office area before the walkthrough. Only then can we officially say we've marked everything off our to-do list.”

Lovina placed a hand on her hip. “Turkey biscuit skillet. I'm impressed.”

“We got tired of eating cereal, so I wrote home and asked Mem for some recipes. That was one of the easiest to make.”

“I'll hurry home and tell them to expect you. I know Dat will be excited to see you.”

“And your mem?” Noah asked.

Lovina shrugged. “She'll warm up. I know she will. God's doing a
gut
work in her, I feel it.”